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Project ID:

98-S-03

Year:

1999

Date Started:

11/30/1998

Date Completed:

08/01/2003

Title:

Ecological and Economic Consequences of the 1998 Florida Wildfires

Project Proposal Abstract:

Objectives: The overall null hypothesis to be tested is that wildfire impacts are unrelated to drought overstory species, and fuels treatment practices. Specific objectives are to:
Determine eacts of four common fuel management treatments (herbicide, mechanical thinning, prescription fire, and no treatment) on wildfire severity as it affects overstoly mortality by species, age or size class, and stand density. Dale Wade and Pat Brose (USFS Southern Research Station)[SRS], Steve Miller (St John's Water Management District)[SJWM])I, Jim Murrian (The Nature Conservancy)[TNCJ, and Jim Brenner (Florida Division of Forestry Fire Control Bureau)[FLDOF-FCB]: $22,500. Correlate levels of daily fire behavior to the Lavdas Dispersion Index and Haines Index. Walt Thompson and Geoff Babs (rNC), Jim Brenner (FLDOF-FCB), and DaleWade (SRS): $7,500. Assess status and 1st year post-fire responses of known populations of plant species of special concern including exotic plant communities in burned areas, revise existing maps, and map extent of new populations. Sue Grace (USGS Biological Resources Division)[BRD], Florida Natural Areas Inventoiy(FNAI) staff, and Dennis Hardin (Florida Division of Forestry Forest Management Bureau)[FLDOF-FMB]: $17,000. Comparison of actual fire behavior compared to predicted fire behavior as recorded on fire reports. Jacoby Carter and Tom Doyle (BRD), and Jim Brenner (FLDOF-FCB): $11,000. Develop GIS-based maps showing selected fuels conditions and wildfire variables useful in assessing fragmentation at the landscape scale. Jim Brenner (FLDOF-FCB), Steve Miller (SJWMD), and Geoff Babb & Walt Thompson (TNC): $15,000. Determine relative abundance and timing of pine foraging insects including bark beetles and wood borers, and their predators and parasites along a fire intensity gradient from none to severe; monitor insect infestation rates over time and correlate to tree mortality. Jim Hanula (SRS) and Jim Meeker (Florida Division of Forestry):$30,000. Determine effects of four common fuel management treatments (herbicide, mechanical thinning, prescription fire, and no treatment) on the behavior of wildflres from a suppression and safety standpoint as they move across the landscape and into residential areas. Pat Brose and Dale Wade(SRS), Steve Miller (SJWMD), Jim Murrian, Geofflabb & Walt Thompson (TNC), and Jim Brenner (FLDOF-FCB): $20,000. compare short-term economic impacts of catastrophic fire with and without prior fuel reduction treatments and provide models and tools to assist managers and policy makers in fuels reduction program decisions. Evan Mercer (SRS); $50,000. quantify utility of conunonly recommended home protection strategies. Dale Wade and Pat Brose (SRS), Rhett Johnson (Auburn University), and Lenny Brennan (fl-RS): $17,500.

Principal Investigator:

Sue Grace

Agency/Organization:

FWS-Fish and Wildlife Service

Branch or Dept:

Southeast Louisiana NWRC